It’s Life in the Fast Lane for Paris Couture for Fall

Even Mario Andretti can’t negotiate curves better than Paris couturiers do for fall. The new, fast-track French suits are sleek and young. They arc around the shoulders, careen over the hips and hit the finish line well above the knee.

At Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld carves a collarless, body-hugging suit with short jacket and high-waist skirt--a zippy little shape that’s sure to inspire look-alikes around the world.

Emanuel Ungaro shapes his curves mostly at the hip line, where long suit jackets bell out above straight, matching skirts or fluttery minis in a softer fabric.

In fact, there’s hardly a straightaway in the whole couture course for fall. Christian Lacroix, who caused much of the excitement, is a master of all this. His dresses and suits, like period-piece costumes, are designed with breathtaking, roller-coaster curves that dip and swoop all around the body.